Warhammer 40,000 Homebrew Wiki:How to create a Homebrew Imperial Organisation
This guide for those who wish to create their own Imperial organisation. Before beginning, you must understand that the Adeptus Terra is the central bureaucratic organisation of the Imperium and not really an agency itself. It is comprised of a bewildering variety of departments, bureaus, sub-divisions and offices, each of whcih deal with a particular aspect of maintaining the continuity of the Imperium. Each order has an obligation to care for its given area of control. This weight of responsibility grows as feudal obligation passes up through a mind-numbing array of ranks within each Adepta. From lowly scribes computing a hive world's annual nutra-slurry yield to mighty sector commanders overseeing the assemblage of a crusading fleet, vassalage and power passes ever upwards to the titular heads of the Imperium, the High Lords of Terra. These powerful individuals rule from ancient Terra in the Emperor's name. Based on Terra itself, the Emperor is a silent being of awesome power. His withered carcass is cradled within an arcane artefact of incredibly occult design. This Golden Throne, as it is known, sustains the Emperor's life force whilst He guards humanity from the Daemonic beings that would destroy mankind utterly. For hundreds of centuries He has fought this psychic battle and for hundreds of centuries mankind has offered Him their fealty, worship and devotion. The Feudal Order The Imperium covers a wide area of galactic space, sprawling over countless worlds. There are few universals amongst these varying planets. Culture, language and even the human form appear in seemingly infinite variation across the universe. One of the few constants (at least amongst those worlds of the Imperium that are aware of its existence) is the network of feudal obligation and responsibility. Each Imperial planet owes fealty to a planetary governor. This individual in turn renders to the Imperium's priesthood a tithe of men, materials and loyalty. The governor is also expected to reject enemies of the Imperium, and to ensure that the psykers upon his planet do not fall into witchery or possession. In return, the governor can call upon the priesthood (or Adeptus Terra as they are properly known) in times of dire threat and request aid. The priesthood which serves the Lord of Humanity is often referred to as "the right hand of the Emperor." It falls to the Adeptus Terra to interpret the Emperor's will and minister to the Imperium. Many hundreds of thousands of souls labour across the galaxy to serve this vast organisation. There are numerous ancient institutions that make up the priesthood, each with various names on various planets. These varying Adepta, as they are traditionally known, each have a specific function to carry out in the Emperor's name. There are only a few organisations in the whole of the Imperium that do not fall under this central command, most notable of which are the Inquisition, the Adeptus Mechanicus and the Adeptus Ministorum, also called the Ecclesiarchy. The Adeptus Astartes are officially a part of the Adeptus Terra, but remain a high level of autonomy. The Adeptus Terra is an umbrella organisation, and not really an agency in itself, as each of its divisions functions largely autonomously and separately from the others. The most powerful individual in the Adeptus Terra (and if not in theory, then in practice, the entire Imperium) is the Master of the Administratum, who controls the central, secular bureaucracy of the Imperium. Below is a list and a brief description of the Adepta of the Imperial government that are all formally part of the Adeptus Terra: *'Adeptus Administratum' **'Departmento Munitorum' ***'Militarum Tempestus' ***'Astra Militarum' **'Estate Imperium' **'Imperial Fleet' ***'Imperial Navy' ***'Navis Nobilite' *'Officio Assassinorum' **'Templars Psykologis' **'Officio Sabatorum' **'Planetary Governors' *'Adeptus Astra Telepathica' **'Sisters of Silence' *'Adeptus Astronomica' *'Adeptus Arbites' *'Adeptus Astartes' *'Adeptus Custodes' *'Logos Historica Verita' Before Beginning To begin, please ensure that you have read the rules and the Quality Control Policy. These will give you an understanding about what you can, and cannot, write about when creating a Homebrew Space Marine Chapter. When creating a Space Marine Chapter, be sure to utilise the Imperial Organisation Infobox in order to keep your article uniform with other Space Marine Chapter pages. Also be sure to browse the Warhammer 40,000 Wiki or Lexicanum (both excellent repositories of all-things WH40K) as there are already a lot of Imperial organisation within the hierarchy of the Imperium. There might be one that is similar to the one you had in mind to create. Though this is unfortunate, try to ensure that you create something unique and original, as this will avoid problems with being accused of plagiarization. Organisation Chart of the Imperium Adeptus Administorum (The Scriptists, The Enumerators) The huge Administratum sees to the running of the Imperium. Needless to say, its servants are legion. At the will of the Adeptus Terra, the Administratum collects the Imperial tithe, sends out colonists, mobilises the military, catalogues planets and much, much more. Truly stultifying levels of bureaucracy exist within the Administratum and some wayward souls believe that the Imperium survives despite, rather than because of, its efforts. The Administratum has become synonymous with the Adeptus Terra in many places and, incorrectly, the terms are often used interchangeably. The faceless servants of the Administratum can be found all over the Imperium, ensuring that all things are accomplished in the correct manner, even if that may take a thousand years. Departmento Munitorum The Departmento Munitorum, also called the Adeptus Munitorum, is a department or sub-division of the Adeptus Administratum devoted to the general administration, personnel assignment, supply and logistics of the Imperial Guard. The Munitorum has ultimate responsibility for the raising of new Imperial Guard regiments, the training of new Imperial Guard troops, the provision of equipment and supplies to all regiments in the field, and the transportation of troops and equipment to and from theatres of war using the vessels of the Imperial Navy. It is primarily a logistical organisation, like the larger Administratum of which it is a part, but while the Administratum deals with the civilian logistics of running the entire Imperium of Man, the Munitorum deals solely with the military logistics necessary to fight and win the Imperium's wars on behalf of all branches of the Imperial armed forces. Militarum Tempestus The Militarum Tempestus, also known as the Ordo Tempestus, is amongst the most rigidly codified of all Imperial organisations, for its men form the elite backbone of the Astra Militarum, serving as its special operations units. Though the Ordo is technically a sub-faction governed by the Adeptus Administratum, it enjoys a far greater amount of autonomy than the Imperial Guard regiments that often fight alongside it. The Ordo's ranks are primarily comprised of Commissars and the special forces troops known as Tempestus Scions or "Storm Troopers" in Low Gothic, though they have often included specialist factions mysteriously absent from Imperial records. In every theatre of war across the galaxy, the Ordo's men work alongside the incalculable might of the Astra Militarum, their elite training complementing the sheer manpower of the Imperial Guard. Astra Militarum The Astra Militarum, also known as the Imperial Guard in colloquial Low Gothic, is the largest coherent fighting force in the galaxy. They serve as the Imperium of Man's primary combat force and first line of defence from the myriad threats which threaten the existence of the human race in the late 41st Millennium. It is comprised of countless billions of men and women -- hundreds of thousands of different regiments, supported by a vast array of light and heavy armoured vehicles that provide the Guard's primary offensive punch. The Astra Militarum are usually the first Imperial force to respond to a threat if a world's Planetary Defence Force (PDF) fails to suppress it. They also garrison major locations of strategic or cultural interest to the Imperium and are often found in defensive roles. Supported by legions of heavy armour and thundering artillery, the Imperial Guard fight a never-ending war for the survival of Mankind in an unrelentingly hostile universe. Estate Imperium The Estate Imperium is a division of the Administratum, described as "the million-strong records office of the Administratum". Presumably its purpose is to keep and furnish records of Imperial organizations. The Estate Imperium is also one of the overseers of the vast Departmento Munitorum. The division's head carries the title of Chancellor. The Estate Imperium's importance is such that its leader sometimes holds a position in the Senate of the High Lords of Terra. Imperial Fleet The Imperial Fleet is controlled by the Adeptus Terra and includes almost every ship in the Imperium. The Imperial Fleet is divided into three distinct branches - the Warfleets of the Imperial Navy, the Merchant Fleets and the Civil fleets. The Navis Nobilite also fall under its administration. The few vessels that are not part of the Imperial Fleet instead belong to either the Adeptus Mechanicus, the Space Marines, the Inquisition, or a small number of honoured and ancient merchant families. Administratively, the Imperial Fleets fall under the control of the Administratum. Imperial Navy The Imperial Navy is one of the armed forces of the Imperium of Man. While the Astra Militarum (Imperial Guard) represents the Imperium's ground forces, the Imperial Navy is responsible for the fleets of starships that maintain order between the stars and planets in the Imperium, for all space and air support provided to the infantry of the Astra Militarum through its Aeronautica Imperialis branch, and for transporting those Guardsmen across the galaxy to the Imperium's myriad warzones. The battlefleets of the Imperial Navy are constantly engaging threats both inside and outside the Imperium's borders. Navis Nobilite The Navis Nobilite is an ancient organisation of mutant Terran nobility predating even the creation of the Imperium of Man by several thousand standard years. It is comprised of noble families who are all human mutants called Navigators who have the unique psychic ability to navigate spacecraft through long distances in the chaotic transdimensional eddies of the Warp. The Great Houses of the Navis Nobilite are some of the wealthiest and most politically powerful collections of nobles in the Imperium. Officio Assassinorum The Officio Assassinorum is a highly secretive agency of the Imperium of Man's government that employs different "temples" that train human Assassins to further the goals and protect the security of the Imperium of Man. Although the Inquisition strikes fear in the hearts of all Imperial citizens, loyal and corrupt alike, the deadly disciples of the Officio Assassinorum strike fear in the hearts of even the most savvy, battle-hardened of Imperial warriors. Assassins are typically deployed alone wherever feasible, having been trained to operate extensively behind enemy lines with no support. Templars Psykologis The Templars Psykologis is an organization of the Imperium about which little is known. It can be presumed the Templars serve as the Imperium's military intelligence and psychological warfare branch. The organization consists of two known unit types - Disruption Squads and Auger Teams. Officio Sabatorum The Officio Sabatorum is one of the smaller organizations that existed within the Imperium. While a certain amount of leeway is given regarding deaths and additional collateral damage throughout the course of an operation by the Sabatorum, direct assassination is not their mission. This sets them apart from the Officio Assassinorum. Officio Sabatorum agents deal with sabotage and physical destruction rather than the elimination of specific targets. Covert agents of the Sabatorum are capable of killing everyone at an outpost with ease. They favour the use of explosives, poisons and gas rather than conventional weapons. Should an agent have to fight an opponent directly it is often viewed as a mission that has failed already. Planetary Governors The political leader of a world of the Imperium of Man is known as a Planetary Governor or sometimes as an Imperial Governor, and is considered an Imperial Commander in military matters. Regardless of his or her specific title, a Planetary Governor is an individual with the (often hereditary) authority to rule a world or even an entire star system in the name of the Emperor of Mankind. The Planetary Governor of a particularly important world may also serve as a sub-sector, Sector or even Segmentum Governor in some cases. Naturally, since the vast and dispersed nature of Imperial space would make a totally centralised system of interstellar government unfeasible, the Planetary Governor is given discretionary political control over the administration (including governance, defence and economic development) of the planet in question. Adeptus Astra Telepathica (The Astropaths, Psykers) Blessed are the blind, for they have looked upon the glorious light of the Emperor directly and no true servant of the Golden Throne could ask for more. Through the agonising ritual of soul-binding, these psykers have been gifted with a small portion of the Emperor’s incredible will. Thus protected from the worst evils of predation by warp entities, these unseeing servants of Terra can fulfil their primary function, preserving communication between the far-flung worlds of the Imperium. Sisters of Silence (The Silent Sisterhood, Witch-Seekers, the Pale Scourge, the Soulless Ones) The Sisters of Silence are an all-female Imperial order of Witch Hunters who were most active during the time of the Great Crusade in the late 30th and early 31st Millennium, whose purpose was to hunt and kill rogue human psykers whose activities presented a terrible danger to the people of the newborn Imperium of Man. They were once the militant arm of the Adeptus Astra Telepathica and were referred to internally within the records of the Adeptus Terra as the Departmento Investigates. Riding the dark void between the stars upon the dreaded Black Ships during the Great Crusade, the Silent Sisterhood were the enforcers of the Great Tithe, known by some as the "Psyker Cull" and the "Hunt That Never Ends." Though officially disbanded after the Age of Apostasy in the 36th Millennium, many enclaves of the Silent Sisterhood still fought for the Imperial cause, albeit in a more secretive and elite capacity than before. With the resurrection of Roboute Guilliman as the Lord Commander of the Imperium after the birth of the Great Rift in 999.M41, the Silent Sisterhood has begun to serve more openly alongside Imperial military forces once more. Adeptus Astronomica (The Beacon, The Light of the Emperor, The Ward of Man) The Black Ships bring thousands of psykers daily to the birthplace of man and many of those so tithed find themselves contributing to the vast psychic choir of the Astronomican. This steady beacon burns bright in the warp; it is the Emperor's will manifest, shining from Holy Terra, and guides Navigators across the Imperium. The process of lending their psychic power to focus the beam quickly leaves the choristers as lifeless husks, but they give themselves willingly, for without the Astronomican the Imperium would cease to exist. Adeptus Arbites (The Judges, Lawgivers) The Adeptus Arbites are the watchers of the law. It is given to them to maintain order amongst the higher echelons of Imperial governance - wherever a planetary governor seeks to abuse his rule, wherever populist unrest seeks to unseat the rightful dominion of the Imperium, wherever thoughts of personal gain at the Emperor's expense cross the minds of the ruling classes, there you will find the dogged agents of the Lawgivers. Adeptus Astartes (Angels of Death) The Adeptus Astartes are foremost amongst the defenders of humanity, the greatest of the Emperor of Mankind's warriors. They are barely human at all, but superhuman; having been made superior in all respects to a normal man by a harsh regime of genetic modification, psycho-conditioning and rigorous training. Space Marines are untouched by plague or any natural disease and can suffer wounds that would kill a lesser being several times over, and live to fight again. Clad in ancient power armour and wielding the most potent weapons known to man, the Space Marines are terrifying foes and their devotion to the Emperor and the Imperium of Man is unyielding. They are the God-Emperor's Angels of Death, and they know no fear. Adeptus Custodes (The Guardians, Watchers of the Throne, The Thousand Companions) These are among the mightiest warriors in all the Imperium, the praetorians of the Emperor. The Adeptus Custodes are a force of individual warriors, each a bastion in his own right and a sentinel of unmatched capability and singular purpose created to counter any possible threat -- human, alien or daemonic. They stand ever-vigilant outside the brazen doors which seal His holy chamber. They are entirely beyond reproach and they are among the few over whom the Inquisition has no power. For ten millennia, they have never left the inner sanctums of the Imperial Palace and serve from birth to death within its hallowed halls. Yet they are among the few of the servants of mankind who will ever look upon the Emperor directly, and for that they receive blessings beyond all measure. With the birth of the Great Rift, and the resurrection of the Primarch Roboute Guilliman as the Lord Commander of the Imperium, the Adeptus Custodes have been forced to take a more active role in galactic affairs. A force of Custodians has followed Guilliman's Indomitus Crusade out into the galaxy. Logos Historica Verita The Logos Historica Verita is a more recently created, small Imperial organisation dedicated to recovering a full and accurate accounting of the history of Mankind unmarred by religious superstition or political bias. It was created by Roboute Guilliman, the Lord Commander of the Imperium and the Primarch of the Ultramarines Chapter, some time after his resurrection in 999.M41. It was the Primarch's intent to make a full and accurate accounting of the Imperium of Man's fragmentary and often contradictory history, the truth of which would inevitably help humanity's advancement out of the darkness that had befallen it in the millennia after the Horus Heresy. For this task, Guilliman utilised individuals of an inquisitive and more liberal nature, and after training them personally in objective methods of data collection, assigned them the daunting task of discovering, collating and cataloging thousands of standard years of human history that had been lost or was woefully inaccurate due to superstition, suppression or purposeful obfuscation by the High Lords of Terra. Organisational Disagreements Regrettably, even the true organs of galactic governance can become embroiled in disagreements with each other. The very creation of the Imperium as it stands today is entirely predicated by the actions of the Warmaster Horus, and one only has to look at the wickedness perpetuated by the High Lord Goge Vandire to see that it is inadvisable to rest too much power in the hands of any one of the Emperor's hands. It is only fitting that each Adept should maintain a healthy suspicion of his peers. Category:Imperium